


imagine if...

by LadyLunaNoir



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Drama, Loss, Multi, Rediscovery, Regret, Self Growth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2019-10-25 12:27:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17725196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyLunaNoir/pseuds/LadyLunaNoir
Summary: Imagine if... I wasn't so dependent on youImagine if... I wasn't too scared of the consequencesImagine if... things didn't turn out the way it did...Imagine if you and I could have our second chance?





	1. cake? cake.

The swirling of deep chocolate brown into the warm white vanilla batter, the intricate patterns forming contrasting swirls that would eventually create a gorgeous marble pound cake is what thrilled Marinette Dupain-Cheng this bitterly cold winter evening.

It was seven o’clock, and the sun had long set, much like the shutters of the _boulangerie_. However, Marinette was keen to finish up this one last baked good, as it would serve a double purpose; an informative and delicious recipe to share on her blog as well as a sumptuous late night treat.

Popping the marble cake into the oven, she began to tackle the task of cleanup— much dreaded, but Marinette learnt that it was better to do it while waiting now, since later never actually _came_.

Whilst putting away the tins of flour and sugar, a familiar tune chirped on her phone; alerting her that someone had left a comment on her food blog. 

_**ChatNoir227 :** “I have spent hours too long on your blog, and might I commend your gracious efforts to not only research but share your genius creations with the world. M’lady, you have won my heart. One more recipe and I’ll have no choice but to declare you as my soulmate, the One I’ve been looking for all my life….”_

Shaking her head, Marinette couldn’t help but smile at the comment, from her _chaton_ as she endearingly called him. It had only been a few months since he had discovered her blog, while trying “trick” his cravingssince he was on diet that couldn’t be broken, but somehow the connection they both shared went beyond that timeline. It was as though he knew exactly who she was and how she felt, although the likelihood of that was near impossible.

The only thing she and her mystery commenter shared in common was supposedly their love for pastries, and perhaps the city they resided in. Marinette wasn’t sure, but she had narrowed it down to somewhere in France, since he had tasted the finest baked goods all over the country, and frequented a few bakeries occasionally.

She was just about to respond, when the oven timer rang reminding her of the marble cake she left in there. The smell of warm vanilla and butter permeated through the air, and Marinette only wished that scents could be transferred through the internet. To see the look on Chat’s face would make Marinette’s day, even if she didn’t know what he looked like, what he did or if he even was around her age.

At 25 years of age, Marinette had been through it all. The thrill of studying what she had dreamt of all her life; fashion design, the stress of working as an intern for Gabriel Agreste, and even successfully launching her own co-designed line that catered to the ‘everyday superhero’, or in her case, her parents. To be told you have the potential to change the fashion industry itself, with just talent, skill and merit was no small feat, and Marinette took pride in the fact that she had tried. But people change, mindsets evolve and somethings are just unplanned.

It was a shock for most people when she told them she was stepping back, taking a break and leaving the spotlight. And sometimes, maybe just sometimes, she wondered what would have happened if she took more risks, trusted easier and had the courage to fight for what she wanted. But Marinette had no time to waste on old mistakes and regrets.

She had a future, and even though it wasn’t exactly how she had planned it, it was the destiny she chose to pursue and now it was time to live with the consequences.

The tinkling of the entrance doors broke the young woman’s reverie, and before she could turn around, two strong arms wrapped around her waist, giving her a tight embrace.

“ _Ma cherie_ , it smells absolute amazing in here! What is my treat going to be today?” the intruder whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickling the very sensitive part right below Marinette’s ear.

“Now, now, Luka… you are aware this is a bakery and not every treat is baked for you? I do have inventory to account for,” Marinette chided playfully, a cheeky smile forming on her face.

Twirling her around in one swift motion, the dark haired man leaned toward Marinette, the grip on her waist tightening. Although they had been together for two years now, she still found her heart racing when he neared her. With just millimeters between them, his blue eyes twinkled with mischief as a smirk played on his lips.

“Is that so? I do wonder why they chef has crumbs all around her mouth… I was under the impression we kept track of every single bite..?”

Suppressing a giggle, Marinette was about to close the space between them when a loud squeal of delight broke through the kitchen, instantly breaking the couple apart.

“CAKE!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hola muchachos!
> 
> It me, Luna, back at ya with another fanfiction. Maybe since the first one is doing alright and not horribly like I expected I finally got the courage to post this one. As it is, I don't post nearly as often as I should, but eh, who am I if I don't bite off more than I can chew!! 
> 
> This one's gonna be a terribly heartbreaking and angsty story, but I'll try to add more lighthearted, fun bits too. I can't guarantee it's going to be as amazing as it is in my head, but I'll make sure it's somewhat there. Sometimes I might throw in the song which inspired a chapter, and I'd recommend listening along so you can ~feel~ what I felt. 
> 
> Feedback is always ALWAYS appreciated, so feel free to critique and comment below! I'd love to learn more from you guys :) and if you feel like this story might be something you would enjoy, hit that kudos button to let me know! It really does motivate chapter output when I see the response LOL
> 
> Talk to y'all later !!
> 
> ~luna <3


	2. dreaming of you

Surrounded with nothing but lush green fields, the boy leaned backwards into the grass, the sun’s warmth spreading through his face. It was rare, almost imaginary, for him to have the time to just laze around with nothing to do but sit and eat an endless amount of pastries while letting his thoughts free, indulging in old, hazy memories.

Sometimes it was just a quick vision of what was, the way she let her hair loose as they drove through the narrow country roads, singing along terribly to Jagged Stone. Occasionally, the passing breeze would trick him into smelling her perfume, the sweet smell of vanilla with notes of burnt brown sugar, an intoxicating combination that made him forget where and what he was doing.

With her, he finally knew more about himself; he knew what he wanted from life and all that he needed was her.

Turning to his side, he felt her presence as she curled deeper into his arms, her head on his beating heart. Even sleeping, she managed to make him smile, the small puffs of air that escaped her lips much like a baby dragon learning to breathe fire.

He leaned in toward her forehead, to place a chaste kiss to reassure her that he was there, protecting her like he had promised.

This time, he wasn’t going to let her go…..

“ADRIEN. This is _literally_ the last time I’m going to call you!”

A shrill voice broke through the ambient silence, and all at once his dream collapsed into nothing as the young man’s eyes fluttered open, his eyelids scrunched as he adjusted himself to the bright sunlight that flooded the room. There was no meadow, no picnic basket filled to the brim with chocolate croissants. She wasn’t there, of course, she could never be. It was far too many years too late.

“I’ll be up in a couple mins, chlo,” Adrien whined, shoving a pillow over his face as he attempted to go back to his peaceful illusion. A valiant attempt, no doubt, which might have worked with his father’s assistant, Nathalié, in the past. Chloé Bourgeois, however, was not one to back down without a fight.

Her thin lips pursed, the skinny blonde pinched her forehead with a sigh as she made her way to toward him, cold glass of water in hand. With one swift motion, Adrien Agreste found himself soaking wet, and any chance he had at “continuing” his dream was now washed away, soaking into the crumpled grey satin sheets.

“When I said ‘wake up’, I really did mean it. You don’t have time to dream, Adrikins, especially not when we have a modeling appointment in about… 25 minutes!” Chloé said, as she checked the time on her Rolex, complete with studded diamonds that probably cost more than the average person’s annual salary.

Putting on his black rimmed glasses, Adrien ran a hand through his hair as he lazily reached for his phone to confirm the time.

 _7:45 am_.

Crap. The girl was right. He was most certainly very LATE.

Jumping out of bed, the young man scrolled through his phone as he hurriedly pulled on a pair of wrinkled jeans that were strewn across the floor. Ten missed calls, fifteen text messages (not including the _numerous_ angry emoji spams from Chloé) and thirty-eight emails, all of which needed to be attended to within the next 22 minutes.

Letting out a loud sigh of defeat, Adrien Agreste made his way to his bathroom as he contemplated how he could escape the life he currently lead for the millionth time this week.

***

“… And so I was talking to Gabriel, and he said that we should probably plan three more outings sometime this week, ideally one every three days so the news spreads rapidly,” Chloé droned on, examining her perfectly manicured nails for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. The ride to work usually took about half an hour, and the model wasted no time in getting Adrien up to speed with his father’s latest plan for Agreste Fashions.

Usually, Adrien would pretend to take some interest in what she said, throwing in the occasional ‘ _uh huh’_ or ‘ _yeah’_ , but today his mind was somewhere else. The dream, although short, always rattled him up and got him to thinking about what was and what could have been… the what if’s and the path not taken. It was _inconvenient_ , to say the least, and sometimes he just wished he could leave the past behind just like she did so easily.

She never did look back, and as much as Adrien wished he could be angry, the only emotion he felt was disappointment.He wished she had taken the time to look back, just called him _once_ — let him know that they would eventually be fine and this was just a passing phase. They would be okay, someday.

“You’re thinking of her again, aren’t you?”

Snapping out of his endless loop of thoughts, Adrien just gave a sad smile as he took a sip of his black coffee, the strong bitterness a fitting parallel to the feelings of resentment that lay within him. Even though she could be self-absorbed at times, his best friend wasn’t one to leave him alone to face his demons and for that he was always so grateful.

“I’m sorry, Chlo. I haven’t been listening to a word you said, and I know this means a lot to you so I promise to try—“

Reaching out for him, the girl shook her head as she ran an idle finger over his knuckles, an oddly comforting action that put Adrien at ease. Looking at him intently, she began speaking.

“Look, Adrien, I get it. For as much as I loathed the very sight of her, you’d have to be completely dense to not see how fitting you were for each other. But she moved on, and I know you try your hardest but I think it’s better if you could just focus on _us_  and your career.”

A dead weight dropped in Adrien’s stomach as he slowly realized she was referring to their ‘ _relationship’._ He preferred to use quotes, because it was all subjective on who you asked. As far as the media was concerned, Chloé and him were the _IT_ couple of the year, the beloved childhood sweethearts and colleagues who found true _love_ in the midst of modeling shoots and glamorous walks on the red carpet.

They were the spitting image of sophistication and good looks; the kind of love story that would be cherished for the years to come. And while everyone knew it started out as a marketing ploy, eventually Adrien got tired of turning down the rumors, the millions of questions that plagued him every time he chose to step out for a simple breath of fresh air. He started giving in to his father and Chloé, mindlessly accepting their wishes and doing what he was told. He told Chloé he loved her, even though his heart never raced when she was around.

What started as a PR move slowly morphed into the stagnation of feelings— a convenient routine that the young man settled into without a second thought.

Maybe there was a time where he would have fought back, taking pleasure in the small instances of rebellion he could get by with, enjoying his freedom. The Adrien Agreste in his early twenties would never have imagined him to become so weak; _apathetic._

Sometimes he did wonder what would happen if he demanded more from his career, his father…his LIFE. It would be just as simple as turning Chloé down right now, telling her straight on that he was tired of living a lie and leading her on— her one-sided lust no longer attractive or appealing but just _annoying_. Tell her that he was done with her, done with his shallow career and ready to run away and see the world for what it is. 

“I think I can fit in the ring shopping sometime this afternoon,” is what Adrien settled on saying instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!
> 
> Sometimes, it's very easy to fall into a rut of doing nothing; stagnating in a routine that lacks mental stimulation and might involve wasting the day away to endless loops of random youtube videos that have absolutely no purpose than to act as a time sink that steals your days away.
> 
> Long story short, someone's been wasting their summer away doing absolutely NOTHING productive and while that may have been needed the first two weeks of June, it's about time I start feeling a sense of accomplishment and start using my one brain cell that was on vacation.
> 
> If you notice that my writing is a bit... off, it's probably cause I think I forgot how to write??? I keep questioning my every sentence and doubting whether I'm making any sense. Hopefully in the next couple weeks I can warm up enough to re-read and edit this chapter, so please excuse any mistakes or things that don't make sense. I'm gonna work on it soon, I swear!
> 
> Thanks for sticking around, and catching up with my ramblings <3 I love every single one of y'all, and I appreciate every bit of support you show :)
> 
> ~Luna


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